Russian community does heavy lifting for Staten Island community center

Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-HammelAssemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer (D-Mid-Island/Brooklyn) secured $4 million in state money to open a proposed multicultural center in South Beach. SICC president Arkadiy Fridman said the building will be retrofitted to include a pool.

With more than $4 million in state money committed to opening a proposed multicultural center in South Beach, members of Staten Island's Russian community spearheading the project are reaching out to the rest of Staten Island to help make it a reality with a fundraiser next week.

An expanded Staten Island Community Center (SICC), which will replace the center now in Dongan Hills, will be located at 300 Sand Lane. Backers were unable to provide a timeline for its opening.

Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer (D-Mid-Island/Brooklyn) secured $4 million in state money to open the facility, which will include the purchase price of the former arcade site at a cost of $2.1 million. SICC president Arkadiy Fridman said the building will be retrofitted to include a pool.

The funding obtained by Ms. Hyer-Spencer, along with $250,000 arranged by state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), was set aside as part of last year's capital budget allocation. It is being administered by the state Dormitory Authority.

Fridman said SICC took out a line of credit to make a $50,000 down payment on the property because they have not yet received state funding.

Ms. Hyer-Spencer said it is not her role as a state legislator to track grants as the allocations make their way through the funding stream.

"Our community is very tough," said Fridman. "We will raise the money we need to raise."

However, it was unclear how much more money backers think might be required after the state allocation in the pipeline comes through.

Fridman said SICC's "Winter Gala and Award Ceremony" on March 12, at which Ms. Hyer-Spencer is to be honored, is expected to raise about $20,000 for the facility. It will be held in the Jewish Community Center, 1460 Manor Rd., Sea View, from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $250 per person.

Fridman said the new SICC space, some 10,000 square feet, will allow for dance and arts classes, as well as recreation, and will include an after-school component.

He said an annual family membership fee likely would be between $700 and $800. But he said user fees could be waived for certain services if the cost could be covered by charitable groups.

Fridman said the current SICC facility, at 219 Jefferson Ave., is utilized by 350 to 400 people, with about 60 percent coming from the Russian community.

He added that the new site "is being built by us but it will be for everyone."

Ms. Hyer-Spencer said the project holds great appeal "for its multicultural approach."

In a statement, Lanza said: "I was happy to provide funding for the Staten Island Community Center because the Russian community is one of the fastest-growing groups on Staten Island. I believe community centers are a good thing for neighborhoods and this center will benefit not only the Russian community but all Staten Islanders."